


Discovery

by callay



Category: Dominion (TV)
Genre: Biting, Friends to Lovers, Hand Jobs, Jealousy, M/M, Smut, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-26
Updated: 2014-07-26
Packaged: 2018-02-10 12:33:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2025294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callay/pseuds/callay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Holy shit,” says Ethan, because he doesn’t really know how else you’re supposed to react when your best friend who you’re also kind of in love with turns out to be the savior of humankind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> For a [kink meme prompt](http://dominionkink.livejournal.com/422.html?thread=15270#t15270)!

Ethan feels Alex’s gaze on his skin, sliding down his chest, catching hungrily between his legs.

His body tingles at the feeling of it, the naked need in Alex’s eyes.

“Can’t stop thinking about you,” says Alex.

“Yeah?” breathes Ethan, eyeing Alex’s body, all muscles and perfect smooth expanse of chest. He doesn’t even look lower. He’s saving that for later.

“I’ve wanted you so long,” says Alex, coming closer.

And Ethan says – 

“That’s obviously not true, is it?”

No, wait –

Ethan says –

Shit.

Ethan opens his eyes. The fantasy, Alex and all, dissolves around him, and he’s left lying in bed, the motion of his hand under the blanket coming to an abrupt stop.

Goddamn Claire Riesen.

He always pictures the same thing when he takes himself in hand in the dark of night, some variation on the same story: Alex reveals that he’s been growing more and more attracted to Ethan and can’t help but give in.

And then Alex fucks Ethan into next week, but that’s not the important part. The important part is that Ethan can believe that it could happen.

He can believe that Alex is just nervous, or worried about getting in trouble for fraternization, or still getting over what happened with Noma, but that despite that, the attraction between them is increasing, until eventually Alex won’t be able to contain it.

Maybe it’s wrong to fantasize about that instead of taking Alex’s friendship at face value. But Ethan’s been amassing evidence. The way Alex lets his hand linger on Ethan’s shoulder. The tension he’s certain he can feel when their eyes catch and hold too long. The way Alex smiles at his jokes like he doesn’t smile for anyone else.

Except.

Except Alex might smile at Claire Riesen like that, for all Ethan knows. Because now it turns out that this whole time, Alex has only wanted Claire, has only been with Claire.

Goddamn Claire Riesen. Until now, Ethan had been content. Somehow he was satisfied with just being Alex’s friend, provided he kept daydreaming that they could be more. But then Alex revealed that he’s been seeing Claire and proved that false. 

Now Ethan can’t have his fantasy Alex, and he certainly can’t have real Alex, and thinking about Alex just brings up a roil of jealousy and betrayal.

He gives up on his efforts for the night, rolls over to press his frustrated erection to the bed and tries to join the rest of the soldiers in sleep.

  


***

  


Ethan’s good at lying when he needs to, and it’s easy enough to pretend his annoyance with Alex and Claire’s relationship is purely pragmatic, the fear that Alex will be in big trouble if anyone finds out. Alex doesn’t listen, of course.

Ethan tries to resign himself to a life of frustration and loneliness.

He hasn’t quite achieved it yet when he’s returning to the barracks and runs into Claire Riesen herself. She’s leaving, so he nods and lets her pass before pushing inside to find Alex.

Alex is leaning against his bunk, head rested on his folded hands.

“You okay, Lannon?” asks Ethan, coming closer.

Alex looks up, and his eyes are suspiciously wet, but he shakes his head and shrugs. “I’m fine.”

He doesn’t look fine, and Ethan tries to push away the part of him that hopes this means that Alex and Claire are through. Hopes that Alex broke it off when he suddenly realized his deep feelings for Ethan. Shit, he knows that’s a stretch, but he’s desperate.

“Why was Claire Riesen here?” he asks.

Alex looks away. “She has to marry William Whele. We can’t see each other anymore.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah,” says Alex, scrubbing a hand over his face.

And then Ethan forgets all about Claire Riesen, because Alex’s sleeve rides up and he catches a glimpse of a dark smudge crossing the inside of Alex’s forearm.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asks, grabbing Alex’s arm to examine it more closely.

“It’s nothing,” says Alex, trying to pull away, but Ethan has already pushed up his sleeve. And it is definitely not nothing.

Blue lines wrap around Alex’s forearm, each one an intricate arrangement of curves and strokes, like some kind of foreign writing. They’re beautiful, but it’s clear there’s something more to them than aesthetics. There’s some meaning in the tightly curled symbols, even if Ethan has no clue what it could be.

Ethan is stunned. “Alex, what is this?” he manages finally.

Alex pulls his arm away, nervously pushes down his sleeve. “You know the Chosen One?”

“Not personally,” cracks Ethan, then stops. Is Alex really saying what he thinks he’s saying?

“Um, actually...”

“Are you kidding me? I’m not even sure I believe all that religious crap!”

“Well, it’s true,” says Alex in a tone of resignation.

“Holy shit,” says Ethan, because he doesn’t really know how else you’re supposed to react when your best friend who you’re also kind of in love with turns out to be the savior of humankind.

“Look, it’s – I didn’t ask for it, and it’s causing me enough trouble. Is there any way you could forget about it and keep things… normal?”

“I can try,” answers Ethan. But he’s still processing this, and he has too many questions to drop it right now.

“What does the Chosen One even do?” He remembers something about bringing peace to the world, but apparently Alex hasn’t gotten to that yet.

“Honestly, I don’t even know yet. It’s important that I read the tattoos, but there are a ton and I’ve only been able to read a few.”

“A ton? Are they all over your body?”

“Yeah,” says Alex, rubbing the back of his neck. And Ethan guesses that that explains why Alex has been avoiding showering with them. And why he only wears long-sleeved shirts even though he used to prefer short sleeves.

Mentally, Ethan tries to extrapolate the tattoos on Alex’s arm to the rest of his body. He imagines them curving over his shoulders, crisscrossing his chest, curling up his legs.

It’s not at all a bad mental image, but he can’t help thinking that the real thing would be better.

“Can I see?” he asks.

Alex frowns at him. “Why?”

“Curiosity,” says Ethan. “It’s not every day you get to see angelic tattoos containing a cryptic message from above.” He gives Alex his best grin.

“Fine.” Alex pulls his shirt over his head, tosses it onto the bunk, and presents himself for inspection.

Ethan wants to say something, but he can only stare. 

Alex is beautiful. The bold lines stand out on his skin, delineating his broad shoulders, the flat muscles of his stomach. He’s like a piece of art.

Without thinking, Ethan reaches out and touches the tattoo that cuts diagonally across Alex’s chest, tracing the two parallel lines. He half expects the markings to feel different under his fingers, but they feel as soft and warm as normal skin.

Alex breathes in sharply at Ethan’s touch. Ethan looks up and their eyes meet. And, okay, this is what Ethan was thinking about before. The way their gazes lock, just for a moment, tension stretching between them.

Then Alex looks down and the tension folds and Ethan didn’t have a chance to figure out the meaning of the look in Alex’s eyes.

He wants to think it was desire, desperately wants to believe Alex was looking at him with need in his eyes.

Now that Claire’s out of the picture he could easily slip back into his old daydreams, imagining that one day Alex will make the first move. But that’s not enough now, he realizes. That fantasy was a lie all along. He wants real Alex, this new Alex who bears the tattoos of salvation like a small inconvenience, and also his old Alex, who snorts at Ethan’s jokes and who scrunches up his face when he doesn’t understand what Ethan’s doing.

Kind of like the way his face is scrunched up now.

Ethan forces a grin and says lightly, “These made you look pretty bad-ass.”

“Shut up,” says Alex, smiling and ducking his head.

And this is familiar ground, giving Alex a joking compliment, the way Alex rolls his eyes but still grins up at Ethan from under his lashes. What Ethan should do next is step back, clap Alex on the shoulder, and they should be on their way.

But Ethan doesn’t want to do that. He feels so close to the real Alex, and he doesn’t want to let him go.

He strokes both hands lightly along Alex’s shoulders, then down his chest, thumbs tracing the symmetrical lines of writing towards Alex’s waist.

He can feel his heart skittering in his chest like it always does when he’s about to do something stupid. It feels good, heady. Part of him knows he shouldn’t do this, but Ethan has never been a man with great impulse control.

And whatever control he did have was used up long ago not touching Alex Lannon at every opportunity.

“Ethan?” breathes Alex, confusion written on his face. His stomach jumps under Ethan’s touch.

“You’re gorgeous,” says Ethan, barely remembering to say it with a teasing grin.

Still, Alex’s head rears back, nervousness written on his face. “I –“ He stops, forehead creasing. “Is this a religious thing, because I really –“

“It’s not a religious thing,” says Ethan, and he looks up from his fingers tracing the waistband of Alex’s pants to meet his eyes. “It’s you.”

Alex looks back at him, as if unsure how to react, eyes wide.

Ethan reaches up to take Alex’s head in both hands, holds him tightly. If he’s doing this – and his pounding heart says yes, he’s doing this – then he may as well do it.

He presses his lips to Alex’s.

They’ve only kissed once before, as teenagers, during some dumb drinking game. Afterwards Alex hadn’t met Ethan’s eyes and it had taken days for things to go back to normal between them.

And Ethan had tried to resign himself to the fact that Alex wasn’t interested, he really had. But Ethan’s brain doesn’t always do what he tells it to.

Ethan kisses hard, clutching Alex’s head tightly. This might be all he gets, and he’s going to make it worth it.

Alex’s lips part under Ethan’s kiss and Ethan presses in, pushes his tongue hungrily into Alex’s mouth.

The last time they kissed Alex had tasted like beer and laughter. Now Alex tastes more like sadness, but Ethan doesn’t care, wants to lick it all off his tongue.

Alex lets him for one heart-stopping moment before bringing his hands up to push Ethan away.

Ethan takes a step back but doesn’t move his hands from Alex’s head. He knows that reason will catch up to him at some point and he’ll realize what a terrible idea this is, but at the moment his body’s still thrumming with the soft feeling of Alex’s lips against his.

Alex is breathing hard, brows drawn together, lips parted like he wants to say something.

Ethan makes himself wait, feeling the heat of Alex’s skin under his hands. He waits for Alex to say, “Yes, I’m yours,” but he also waits for Alex to say, “No, get away from me.”

But Alex doesn’t say anything, just puts his own hands around Ethan’s head and pulls him in and kisses him.

Ethan responds instantly, and the kiss hits like a whirlwind, mouths open, tongues clashing, hands scrabbling in each other’s hair. There’s a jumpy part of Ethan’s stomach that can’t believe this is happening, but the rest of him is too busy enjoying the wet heat of Alex’s mouth against his.

Ethan pushes closer, lines their bodies up, presses Alex against the frame of the bed. Wants to feel Alex’s skin. But he’s still in uniform and his bulky body armor is between them.

Ethan pulls back, fighting Alex’s grip on his head, breaking the kiss with a soft wet sound. Panting, he attacks his vest, struggling to take it off.

Alex watches him with his face flushed and his eyes wide. His fingers nervously stroke the nape of Ethan’s neck, and even that is enough to send a cascade of tingles through Ethan’s body.

“Want you so bad, Lannon, shit,” gasps Ethan before he can think better of it, throwing aside the bulletproof vest and starting on his shirt.

Alex bites his lip and looks down. “Are you sure –“ he starts, voice hoarse. “Should we really do this? Claire and I are done, but – “

Ethan presses his fingers to Alex’s lips. “Do you want this?” he asks, breathless but intense, watching Alex’s face.

For a moment Alex is still under Ethan’s fingers. Ethan feels like his heart is hanging in the balance, because this could be the day his fantasies come true, but it could also be the day he fucks everything up.

But their eyes are locked together and this time Ethan can actually read the bright look in Alex’s eyes. Desire. Alex opens his mouth against Ethan’s hand and says, “Yes.”

“Then why the hell shouldn’t we?” asks Ethan, giving Alex a grin as he pulls off his shirt.

Alex breathes out and squeezes Ethan’s shoulders and Ethan grabs him by the waist and kisses him.

Their tongues easily find the same sloppy rhythm as before and their bodies align, skin to skin. Ethan slides his hands up the muscular planes of Alex’s back, then down his sides where the tattoos trace his ribs. He moves to slide a thumb across each nipple and Alex shudders against him.

Alex keeps his hands on Ethan’s head, pulling him close, their heads tilted so that their mouths press tightly together. Alex’s thumb rubs Ethan’s cheek, an urgent touch but an intimate one. It makes Ethan’s stomach flip-flop with the reminder that this isn’t just some random guy he’s fooling around with, this is _Alex_.

_His_ Alex.

It’s so much better than his fantasies, to have Alex pressed warm against him, Alex’s tongue eager in his mouth. He wants this moment to last forever. But then again, he also wants more than this – fuck, he wants everything Alex will give him.

Ethan slides his hands down, reaches blindly for Alex’s belt, works it open. After a moment Alex reaches for him as well, and they kiss messily as their hands work between them.

Then Alex’s belt is gone and his pants are open and Ethan shoves them down and pulls out Alex’s cock. It feels solid in his hand and he can’t help breaking the kiss to look down.

Alex’s cock looks perfect in his hand, tall and just a little curved and dusky pink with blood. Ethan feels like his mouth is watering just looking at it. There’s already a bead of precome shining on the tip and Ethan runs a thumb over it, smears it over the broad head.

Alex makes a small surprised sound. He’s standing frozen with his fingers hooked in Ethan’s waistband, staring down between their bodies.

Ethan strokes slowly down and then back up, enjoying the silky shift of skin under his hand and the helpless twitch of Alex’s hips into his touch. Alex’s face is flushed, eyes bright with need.

And _Ethan_ made him look like that. The thought sends a thrill humming through Ethan’s veins.

But he wants more, wants Alex to be his completely.

“Come on,” he pants, giving Alex one last squeeze and then moving both hands to Alex’s hips. He pulls him sideways, presses forward, and manages to throw them both onto the bottom bunk.

They go down in a tangle of limbs. Ethan props himself up on his hands and knees, gives Alex room to stretch out beneath him, head on the pillow. Alex is gorgeous, like a nude painting, decorated with curving lines of script. If there were a painting who could look nervously up at Ethan, tongue darting out to wet his lips.

Ethan’s pants still hang around his hips and he shoves them down with one hand, grabs Alex’s hair with the other, and thrusts their bodies together. Presses against Alex, cocks and stomachs and chests and mouths. Alex’s mouth falls open and Ethan plunges his tongue in.

They’re grinding together and Ethan can feel himself sliding against the firm skin of Alex’s abdomen and nudging against Alex’s cock. It’s incredible, amazing, but not enough, like a sip of water in the desert.

He pushes himself up enough to get a hand between their bodies and grasp both of their cocks. Squeezing them together, he strokes up and down quickly, and Alex lets out a low groan and pushes his head back into the pillow.

Eagerly Ethan presses his face against the strong curve of Alex’s neck, kisses the heated skin. Keeping his hand moving between them, he kisses down to Alex’s shoulder and chest, sucking hard.

He wants to leave a mark, a clear sign to anyone else who gets to see Alex’s tattoos that Ethan’s been here first.

Alex is squirming under him, gasping under Ethan’s lips and fingers. He has one hand fisted in the blanket but the other trails up Ethan’s back to cup his head and pull him in.

Ethan bites down on the juncture of Alex’s shoulder and neck and feels Alex spasm under him, hips jerking up.

He pulls back, surprised at the strength of Alex’s reaction. “Do you like that?” he breathes.

“It’s – I don’t know,” pants Alex, eyes closed.

Ethan licks the indentations of his teeth on Alex’s skin and then bites him again, even harder.

Alex groans aloud, body rolling up against Ethan’s.

Ethan’s head is spinning. Alex’s reactions are hot as hell, and Ethan wonders if he’s the first to do this to him. Fuck, he wants that to be true, wants to leave a mark on Alex’s mind as clear as the marks he’s leaving on Alex’s skin.

He lifts his head to crush his mouth to Alex’s. Alex kisses back hard, holding Ethan close with a hand in his hair.

Ethan tilts his head and nips at Alex’s bottom lip, hard enough to sting.

Alex gasps and pulls Ethan away, but the frantic twitch of his hips into Ethan’s hand gives him away.

“Didn’t realize you were into pain,” says Ethan breathlessly, grinning down at Alex’s red face.

“I’m not –” protests Alex, but his voice catches when Ethan squeezes the head of his cock. He looks up at Ethan, embarrassment warring with arousal on his face.

“Fuck you, Mack,” he manages finally, embarrassment obviously winning out.

“Maybe later,” says Ethan, raising his eyebrows, and Alex huffs out something between a laugh and a moan.

Fuck, Alex is perfect. His lips are pink and wet and Ethan really wants to lean down and claim them again. But he also really wants to lick the band of blue writing that crosses Alex’s chest. He's torn for one second, but that's too long to go without putting his mouth on Alex, so he leans down, tongues across Alex’s pecs, tasting sweat.

The muscle jumps under Ethan’s tongue and Alex’s hips push up, sliding his cock against Ethan’s. Ethan’s hand is there pressing them together, stroking up and down. Occasionally he palms over the tip, smears their slick precome together, but there’s not enough to abate the rough skin-on-skin friction of it. And it’s perfect like that, raw and desperate.

Ethan could do this forever, keep Alex here with him forever.

He kisses messily down Alex’s chest to a small tan nipple, licks at it. Alex shivers. 

Ethan bites.

It’s light, the merest brush of teeth, but Alex still shudders and groans aloud. Ethan almost echoes him when he looks up and sees Alex’s face, flushed and overwhelmed. Instead he bends to lick gently at the nipple, trying to be soothing, but Alex still gasps at every touch.

Soon he can feel Alex tensing under him, muscles flexing in waves. The roll of his hips is frantic now, and Ethan listens to the hitching moans on his breath, and waits until just the right moment, and bites him again.

“I’m, fuck, that’s – Ethan –“ gasps Alex, and squeezes his eyes shut, and comes.

Ethan can’t even breathe, just watches the spasms of pleasure on Alex’s face and feels Alex pulsing in his hand, warm come spilling over his fingers.

He strokes Alex through, and then he can't wait any longer. He lets Alex go and closes his slick hand on himself.

Sitting up, Ethan looks down at Alex flushed and panting beneath him. His heart is pounding, body singing with need, and he thinks about Alex coming with his name on his lips. And that thought is enough. He comes, hard, onto Alex’s stomach, streaking the tattoos with white.

When he’s done he collapses onto the bed next to Alex and leans in so they’re eye to eye.

Alex looks back at him, wide-eyed and red-faced but smiling.

“Was that okay?” asks Ethan. And maybe he sounds a little smug, but it’s hard to imagine Alex’s response as anything other than –

“Yeah. It was amazing.”

Ethan grins and noses in closer. They kiss, gently, and Ethan puts his hand on Alex’s chest and feels his heart rate slowly going back to normal.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” Ethan admits against Alex’s lips. 

Alex pulls back enough to raise his eyebrows at Ethan. “Why didn’t you?”

Ethan thinks back, and right now, he honestly can’t remember.

**Author's Note:**

> (Noma totally already figured out that Alex likes being bitten. But don't tell Ethan.)


End file.
